Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-01-05


incur the fidicuie connected with the at.
tempt to present any proposition to the
supreme court Of the United States in
volving the right Of the people OF Q ter.
titory to set mp and put in motion q
state governmet in disregard OF the
action of congress In admitting it as q
state into the union. If one could be
found he would be- met at once by the
uniform decisions Of that court to the
effect that the legislative power of con-
gress over the territories is absolute.
A state may be formed, and undoubt-
eddy 1t is essential that one should be
formed, for admission into the union,
but 1t requires the action of congress to
constitute it a state in the union, and Q
state out Of the union is as impossible
OF existence as is that OF q bird in the
water VI fish in the sir.
Undoubtedly the argument used BY
our friends in the debate preceding the
passage OF our admission bill into the
senate is beyond successful combat that
it takes two concurring tribunals to form
q state; one the people Of the proposed
state and the other the congress of the
United States; the one to form, that 10
to prepare all the machinery ready TO be
put in operation, and the other to put it
in operation.
Now by this / do not want to be uu-
derstood as disoouraging in any particu-
lar the effort of any person to, keep alive
ID the hearts and minds OF our fellow
citizens the necessity and wieh for state
government; on the contrary, I am
ready and more than willing to do ans.
thing and to encourage others in doing
anything which will tend IN the least de.
gree toward accomplishing the much
desired purpose. l think we should adj
here to our present organization and, il
necessary, keep it alive by subsequent
elections, with q stern and unfalterinR
determination that we will sake moth
ing less that the admission of south
Dakota into the union OF states. Be-
yond this, l think it exceedingly impor-
tant that saoh an organization should
be had as will enable us to educate the
people of the United States TO the ne
cessity Of justice to this people.
They should be taught that it is
dangerous to the people Of
sli the states to deny to any portion
of the people those political rights and
privileges which pertain to tho con-
dltion Of American citizens. They should
be aroused and alarmed by the fact that
for mere partisan purposes, in orde:
that q few Insignificant individuals may
hold Office. q great people, nearly o hal
million American. oitizens, are denied
the privileges and the rights for which
their revolutionary forefathers risket
everything. property, life and honor
They should have called to their mind
that for the people to become familiar
ICED With and their ssnsss hisassdi b.
indifference to such outrage and wrong
is dangerous to them and to those VIII
shall como after them.
We cannot rebel against the govern
ment. We co not want to. We want te
become an integral part Of it. Il is BY
an appeal to the people who make The
government, 10 change it's policy, that
our rights are to be secured. / fear w
made a graye..m,stake that We did no.
institute, during the last political CAM
paign, q crusade throughout the states
upon this question. We cannot gei
into the union or become a state by
fighting our way in either, by levyine
war or by q lawsuit. We have got Il
secure those political rights &c
which VI are justly entitled
by an appeal to the great hear
Of tho American nation. II We can get
the attention OF the American people
they will take the little, short-sighted
pigmy partisan politicians who refuse
what they concede we are Justly en-
titled to. up by the nape. ..of the necl
and shake them over thespit OF hell until
they are wiling ito acs with a decen1
regard for the.right.
/ regretted that I could not be q,
Huron. l have made maay sacrifices
in this movement 'and am ready and ex,
poet to makeimany more. / do not wan,
anybody ever to misundeEstand ::me.
have believedsfor years that the absolut,
welfare Of the people of Dakota, both
north and south, demands its division
into two equal parts, by an east ane
west line, end the speedy admission Of
beth into the union ~ sovereign statel
under constitutions Of their own choos-
sngs and with government Of their owl
volition. I cannot conceive how ny
mind could beychanged upon these sub
jects. / have not thoughtiof this .ques.
ton OF division as a mere present ex
pedient. bat always upon what I be
lieved would be its effect in the future
when these become great and thickIy
populated commonwealth. As we have
grown in years, in population, in
strength and in material resources, MI
judgment has been strengthened and in
tensified, and I believe that if such I
dire calamity should beiall MS as tina
this people we're forced into the union o.
one state for the whole territory, thos,
4 -L- L.